Forbes said it’s not easy fitting everyone onstage for the “heavy dance show” with a class of almost 50 students. Still, they managed.

“Everyone gets their moment to be on stage and experience what it’s like to be in a musical.”

Cast members have been practicing for this production of Newsies since September. (Caitlin Dutt/AQ)

Forbes said it was a challenge to have everyone dance in the same level, but cast members have been practicing since September. He said every scene features a dance number.

“At a liberal arts university where you’re not expecting to get such high-calibre performing arts training, we’re getting some of the best in the province and it’s amazing,” said Forbes.

Forbes said Newsies sold out so quickly that they added an additional show time.

Newsies is energetic and full of dance. (Caitlin Dutt/AQ)

“[The extra show will be] pretty strenuous on the body and the voice but everyone in the class was just full throttle wanting to do it.”

Peter Boyce, a second-year student who has acted in Theatre St. Thomas’ A Life of Galileo and The Importance of Being Earnest, will play Jack Kelly’s best friend Crutchie in Newsies. He also helped work on set production.

He said set pieces from past years and newly built ones make up this year’s Newsies’ set. The backdrop is lined with windows and there are some antique lamp posts. The main piece is the newsboys’ home. It has a couple doors, staircases and a rooftop.

Newsies the musical sold out quickly. (Caitlin Dutt/AQ)

He said after all the work he and the other students have put into this show, he’s excited for audiences to step into the Newsies‘ world.

“It’s an energetic show. All the shows are very beautiful. They’re very catchy and the characters are all very distinct and fleshed out,” Boyce said.

Patterson said this is his second time playing Jack, his dream role. He played the role for the first time in the summer with KV Players, a Kennebecasis theatre company.

Dustyn Forbes said even though the show is set in 1899, Newsies has a modern message. (Caitlin Dutt/AQ)

“For it to happen once was amazing, and for it to happen twice was just a movie.”

He remembers the first time he saw Newsies in 2014 with a group of friends in Toronto. He said in that moment he knew he wanted to be a professional musical actor. He said acting is like skydiving.

“It’s something you can’t give up once you try it once and once you see something like that.”

Patterson said he loves working with friends and making theatre happen.

“They say if you love something enough, you’ll make time for it. So you make as much time as you can.”

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. from Feb. 20 to Feb. 23 with matinees at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated the STU Musical Theatre class’ production of Newsies was the second in Canada. It is actually the second production of Newsies in Atlantic Canada.